2013 Fiat 500 Sport Hatchback 5 Speed Manual 16" Alloys Fog Lights Sound Sys on 2040-cars

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Fiat 500e will be Stellantis' EV test run in the U.S.

LOS ANGELES – While we're excited for the Fiat 500e's arrival in the U.S., and we think there's a clear niche for it, we still had loads of questions about what models were coming, if any changes would be made and what else might be coming for the Italian brand. And in a roundtable interview with Fiat Brand CEO Olivier Francois, we learned all that and more. So let's go over the fascinating electric future of Fiat in the U.S. The Future is 500 And when we say that it's 500, we mean only 500e. Francois revealed that, although it's not going away immediately, the 500X crossover will be discontinued when this generation reaches the end of its lifecycle. His reasoning for this move is that only one model really struck a chord with American buyers: the regular 500. He pointed out that it had, at once point, 60% of the ultra-small segment ahead of Mini. And it was successful because it was an iconic car that met a very specific niche for a very specific buyer: something small and stylish that worked well as a commuter and city car. He noted that the 500L, with a focus on practicality, wasn't something that a mainstream buyer was looking for, nor that niche buyer. And it's a similar case for the 500X. So the brand is shifting back to its most popular, core model, and it has no plans in the near term to expand beyond that. Exactly which 500e variants will be offered here is still being decided. There are three versions in Europe right now, the hatchback, soft-top and quirky three-door (with a half-door on the passenger side a la Mazda MX-30). They will be joined by a sporty Abarth version soon. Francois noted that they could start with one version and offer others later, or perhaps the hatch and convertible simultaneously. The three-door seems unlikely, as there isn't much demand for such a small car with a marginally easier-to-access rear seat. The Abarth is something Francois said he would like to offer here (and we would love to accept), but that will likely be determined by how well this new Fiat strategy works. He did say that any of them could be offered, but it depends on the brand's success and strategy. One interesting tidbit that could complicate the convertible is that the most successful states for the 500 were California and Florida, which are both states were convertibles don't do great.

Autoblog Minute: No strike, FCA and UAW reach tentative agreement

A union strike is avoided as the United Auto Workers reached a tentative agreement with FCA. Autoblog's Adam Morath reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] A union strike is avoided as the United Auto Workers reached a tentative agreement with FCA. I'm Adam Morath and this is your Autoblog Minute. The previous contract extension between the UAW and FCA expired at 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October the 7th. Had a new agreement not been reached, the UAW was set to strike at midnight. A zero hour tentative agreement was reached preventing a strike and now, [00:00:30] UAW leaders will convene for a vote on a new deal, Friday, October 9th. In a press release, the UAW said that terms of the new deal will be announced following the Friday vote. Check in with Autoblog as we continue to update reports as more details of the new labor deal come in. But in the meantime, work at FCA will go on. For Autoblog I'm Adam Morath. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. UAW/Unions Chrysler Fiat Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video FCA strike

Fiat 500 facelift found

Following a tumultuous few years on the US market (not to mention the several years it was sold in Europe before crossing the pond) Fiat is preparing a moderate refresh of its bread-and-butter 500 hatchback. As you can tell by the Hannibal Lecter look of this particular prototype, the focus of these updates will be on the front and rear clips. Sadly, it's virtually impossible to pick up any of the details due to the rather obtrusive camouflage. Although they're typically part of a mid-cycle update, it looks like Fiat will be leaving the headlights and taillights of the city car alone for the next model year. Beyond that, though, this is quite light as far as updates go. As for when we could see the freshened 500, it's open for debate. Geneva is certainly a possibility, as is April's New York Auto Show. Be sure to keep your eyes open then.